Antifreeze fluid control for storage tanks



Jun@b l5 1926.

y 1- 1,588,863 J. P. WALKER ANTIFREZE FLUID CONTROL FOR STORAGE '.IANKS Filed July 1'?. 1925 l 2 sheets-sheet 1 1 attenua,

June 15 192s. A 1,588,883 b J. P. WALKER l ATIFREEZE FLUID CONTROL FOR STORAGE TANKS Filed July 1'7 v1925 lzsneets-sheet 2` JP n@ /ke/ Patented June 15, 1926.

ANTI-'FREEZE FLHIE); CQNJIROE. FQER'. STORAGE TANKS.

Applicationfiled. July.y 17', 192.5.. Serah No. 443250.'.

This. invention. relates to new. and. useful improvements in antiff'reeze fluid controll for storage tanks...

This invention has to do with the storage of fluids, which. congeall when subjected` to temperatures below the point of freezing, sucht as crude oil trom. petroleum. fields.. In such. cases it is the practisel to install steam coils, in the bottom of the tank to. heat the liquid so, that it Will@ flow. Nhere pressure and vaeuum regulators are installed. outside the tank, which. is common practica, they frequently freezev and. when. the tank is heated,s such regulators do. not thaw. out.

The result is usually ai damaged tank. owing to4 the vapor pressure whieh. is built up. in the, tank. when the liquid is. hea-ted7V the tank either: bulging or collapsing.4 Further if the liquid feed valve is mounted outside the tank it would. also, freeze..A

The. object. ofthe invention istoy provide controlling means for relieving theV pressure and'` vacuumv within: the, tank arranged so as to become operative when the liquid in the f tank is heated.

A further object of the invention. is. to provide 1neans=\vitliintlie tank forv automatically controlling4 the level.` ofi the4 liquid in` the tank. and'. alsov for maintaining an. air space at the top ofthe tank..

Frequently the hot vapors escaping' from a heated tankignite and. cause a` fire, thereforev another object. of my invention is to. provide an` arrester for extinguishing a fire at the end ofthe vapor escape pipe.

A. construction designed to. carry' out the invention will be hereinafter described to.- gether with. other featuresa of the invention.

The invention. will be more readily` understeodfrom. a reading of the following specification and by reference to. the aeoompanying drawings.. in which` an. example of: the invention is shown-, and. wherein Fig. l is a view lof a storage. tank oo nstructed in accordance with my invention', a

portion ofthev tank. shown in section,

Fig.. 2. isa. verticaly sectional View of the, inlet valve,

Fig: 3 is a cross-sectional View taken on the line -of Fig. 2', and- Fig.. 4L is a detail of the fire arrester.

In the drawingsthe numeral lOdesignat-.esan. ordinary storage tank. which may be of any approved construction. The tank has a manhole l1 at the center of its top, which leadsfroin. the side oftank` near itsfbottonr A` 'centralpvertical relie-f pipe; 14e has its upper end. terminating at themanhele anc-lf below the coverl2. rlhe levier end. of the pipe lli is connected by an elhorv L5. with. a horizontal. pipe 1G. extend-ing throughthe sideof. the tank.. The; pipe- 1.6 is near; the bottom of the tank. Inl the pipe16,.nearthe` elbow. or ,at any other suitableA place Within the tank isconnect-ed a combination pressure and. vacuuml regulator 17,. which mafy be; of any suitable construction for the purpose, such regulators being well. known and now in common use in this art., drain cocky 118 is connected inthe pipe 16 outsideA the tank for drawing off. the condensation.

The pipe 1.4L' is open. at its upper end so that vapors and gasestrapped.l in. the upper end of thevr tank. may'escape int-ofthe;pipe-14.

The regulator. 1.7 isset. to. permit, fluid at a predetermined pressure to passy and: alsex to relieve? a. vacuun'r. in they tank. In. order that the liquid fiowlngv into. the tank from the fluid pipe 19. may be cut off.'v at a` level below the top of the4 pipe 14. and not flow intothe latter, I provide an. automatio cut-off. valvecomprising a casing 20. (.Figs.. 2. and 3.)v and located Within the` tank just under thel top, thereof.` The easing depends, from a. cover, lange 2l which. is fastened on the down,` turned end ofthe pipel 159,.A In. the lower end. of the casing-is an annularvalve seat 22. A., guard. disk 28 is supported.` on legs24'above the seat and. below the end. of the pipe..

A valve 25 underthe guardf engages on the seat 22 and. has va depending stem 26.v A lever 27 pivoted at 28 in; a housing 29 is pivoted tothe valve stemgbut has-itsY greater length. extending outwardly fromthel pivot 28. A float 80. is mounted ont the, outer endf of( the lever. The guard` protects the valve from. the impact of the liquid flowing into.: the casing from the pipel 19. thenthe; liquid rises` toi itshiglr level the iioat 30-Wil=l beraised and the valves 21v y will? he elosed,. thus cutting oli'- the supply to the-tank. Theinvention is not to be limited to the cubetti val-vey shown as many forms-of eut-off valves located `in the tank could be` used for the,l same purpose. Y

They pipe 161 is extended through; ae dyke 3l and connected by an elbow 32. to an uptright pipe 83. Y The pipe isfconneoted at its upper end to a short horizontal pipe 34 by an elbow 35. An arm 36 depending from the pipe 34 is welded or otherwise secured thereto. A lever 37 (Fig. 4) is pivoted intermediate its ends on the lower end of the arm. A cap 39 is provided with ears 33 between which one end portion of the lever is connected; while a chain 40 is connected to the other end of the lever. Normally the lever is swung to a horizont-al position and the end of the pipe 34 is open.

In cold* climates it is necessary to thaw out such liquids as crude oil and this is usually done by placing a steam coil in the tank particularly at the bottom. l have not illustrated the coil in the drawings b cause the means used to heat the liquid ha nothing to do with the invent-ion. jWhen the liquid is heated the regulator 17 and the valve casing 20 will also be heated and if frozen, will be thawed out. lt has eeen the practice to locate the regulator outside the tank and frequently the regulator was frozen.

It will be seen that the heating of the liquid, crude oil, will cause the generation of vapors or gases at the upper end of the tank which will build up a pressure unless relieved. If the pressure regulator is frozen such a pressure would damage the tank or if the vacuum regulator was frozen the tank would be collapsed when the liquid was pumped out.

By my arrangement the liquid will be held at the high level by the float 30 and below the entrance to the pipe 14. Vapors or gases accumulating in thc upper portion of the tank will pass out through the pipes 14, l5. 33, and 34; or a vacuum will be relieved by the same conductor. If the escaping vapors or gases should ignite it is merely necessary to pull the chain 40 to swing the lever 37 and close the end of the pipe 34 by the cap 39: the arrester thus extinguishing the fire.

Various changes in the size and shape of the. different parts, as well as modifications and alterations may be made within the scope of the appended' claims.

That l claim, is:

1. The system of ccmtrolling` fluids in a heated storage tank which consists in automatically cutting off the supply of liquid at aA high level to create a vapor space in the tank conducting the vapors from said space by conducting` the same through a regulator immersed in the heated liquid in the tank, and by relieving a vacuum in said tank through a regulator immersed in the heated liquid.

2. In an anti-freeze control for storage tanks, the combination with a storage tank, of an automatic feed for the liquid within the tank, a relief pipe extending from a point above the liquid level in the tank down to the bottoni portion of the tank and out 1,5ss,ses

through the side of the tank, and pressure and vacuum regulator connected in said pipe within and near the bottom of the tank.

3. ln an anti-freeze control for storage tanks, the combination with a storage tank, of an automatic feed for the liquid within the tank, a relief pipe extending from a point above the liquid level in the tank down to the bottom portion of the tank and out through the side of the tank, pressure and vacuum regulator' connected in said pipe within and nea-r the bottom of the tank, and a tire arrester on the end of the pipe outside of and remote from the tank.

4. ln an anti-freeze control for heated storage tanks, means for maintaining a vapor space in the tank above the liquid and a conductor leading from the said space through the liquid vin the tank, and a pressure regulator connected in said conductor and located in the lower portion of the tank.

5. In an anti-freeze control for heated storage tanks, means for maintaining a vapor space in the tank above the liquid, a conductor leading from the said space through the liquid in the tank, and a pressure and vacuum regulator connected in said conductor and located in the lower portion of the tank.

6. ln an anti-freeze control for heated storage tanks, a liquid feed pipe entering the top of the. tank, an automatic cut-olf valve on the feed pipe within the upper portion of the tank, an upright relief pipe in the tank having its upper end above the high level of the liquid, a second pipe connected to the relief pipe near the bottom of the tank and extending through the side of the tank, and a pressure and vacuum regulator connected in the second pipe within the tank.

7. In an anti-freeze control for heated'- storage tanks, a liquid feed pipe entering the top of the tank, an automatic cut-off valve on the feed pipe within the upper portion of the tank, an upright relief pipe in the tank having its upper end above the high level of the liquid, a second pipe connected to the relief pipe near the bottom of the tank and extending through the side of the tank, and a pressure and vacuum regulator connected in the second pipe within the tank. conducting` pipes connected to the second pipe, and lire arrester for closing the outlet of the conducting pipes.

3. In an anti-freeze control for heated storage tanks, a liquid feed pipe entering the tank, an upright relief pipe open at its upper end and extending from a point near thc top of the tank to the bottom of said tank and directed outwardly through said tank, and a pressure and vacuum regulator adjacent the bottom of the tank.

In testimony whereof l atlix my signature.

JAY P. VALKER. 

